


I Only Play At How I Used To Be

by nerdyydragon



Series: Kingsman Tumblr Ficlets [22]
Category: Kingsman (2014), Kingsman (2015), Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Background Harry Hart | Galahad/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, Discussions of PTSD, Gen, Vague depictions of violence, adventures in spying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-23
Packaged: 2018-08-24 06:46:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8361634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdyydragon/pseuds/nerdyydragon
Summary: Just one night off, that was all Roxy wanted. Was that too much to ask? Probably.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own this - you all should know that by now.

If one thing was certain, Roxy could officially check “bar fight turned standoff” off her bucket list - not that it had been on there to begin with.

She sat tucked under the bar, breathing heavily and trying to remain out of sight, Eggsy on one side and Harry on the other. It was rare that the three of them all had a night off at the same time, and they had agreed to go out for drinks. Unfortunately, the pub they had picked that night had been a hotspot for gang activity, and it had resulted in the standoff currently tilting towards a firefight. When guns first started being removed from coats, she had nearly wanted to punch Eggsy even as he slammed the heel of his hand into his forehead, silently berating himself for forgetting the territories that belonged to the thugs of the London Underground.

As it stood, between the three of them they had an umbrella, five guns, their signet rings and watches, and two lighters (which they were hesitant to even list, as they were all unwilling to blow up a perfectly good pub). Not nearly enough, outnumbered and outgunned as they were against the two gangs who were about to go head to head.

“Alright,” Eggsy whispered, silently reassembling his second gun. “We have two options. We can sit here like the good little tailors we’re pretending to be, and act like we’re at least mildly panicked.” Roxy could tell that Harry - who had been sworn in as an agent not seven months before the two of them - was on the fence about that plan. It was just as well, since as soon as the words were out of Eggsy’s mouth the fighting in the main part of the pub had commenced, the sound of skin hitting skin and at least one gun being fired.

“Or?” He said, leaning around her to see the third member of their party. Eggsy grinned.

“Or, dear Hart, we can do what we do best.” The three of them looked at each other and silently came to a decision. Eggsy nodded. “On three then?”

None of them waited.

In near-perfect synchronization the three of them ducked out from behind the bar and, with hardly a glance at the tender who was huddled further down, had their guns in hand and fired off three rounds each - not enough to take out everyone, but enough to effectively incapacitate many of the players in the melee before they could turn on the trio - and hopping the counter.

Eggsy’s gymnastics training and parkour skills made his leap far more graceful than his companions’, but neither were far behind. They swept through the room with military precision, working both together and alone, and as a result didn’t gather any harm to themselves (though unfortunately Roxy’s skirt split up the side after a particularly impressive roundhouse kick). Before long the rival gangs had been reduced to either unconscious bodies sprawled on the floor or had fled early on, though they had managed to get a hold of what seemed to be the members of authority in this current skirmish. Harry pulled zip-ties out of his inside suit pocket - though for the life of her Roxy couldn’t fathom why he kept them in there to begin with - and made to secure the two men, but Eggsy motioned for him to stop.

“So I take it the two of you were in charge of this mess?” One man nodded, but the other only observed him coldly. Eggsy cocked his head and smirked, and the man’s eyes widened.

“You’re that Unwin kid - the one Dean always goes on about.” Eggsy’s smirk turned glacial, and his eyes hardened.

“One and the same, bruv. But as you can see,” he gestured to his outfit, which although now slightly rumpled was a pair of black slacks with his oxfords, and a white polo shirt under a deep blue sport jacket, “I’m not in with them no more. Got myself work that didn’t involve doing what that bastard told me to do at risk of getting beat. Now, and I’m only going to say this once, so pay attention, I don’t want any of you coming around this pub any more. I happen to like it here, and I won’t have the likes of you destroying the place. Am I clear?” Both men nodded. “Wonderful. Now off you go, scamper off to your bosses and deliver the news, since I know neither of you are brains enough to be them.”

The two men ran and the three of them dropped heavily into one of the booths. The pub was nearly empty, though anyone who remained was cowering somewhere or unconscious. Harry put his head in his hands and let out a shaky breath, and next to him Eggsy bit his lip.

“Harry,” Roxy said gently, removing one of his hands from his face. “Are you feeling alright?” Harry shook his head, and Eggsy rubbed a firm hand across his shoulders to ground him. “This is about V-Day, isn’t it?” This time Harry nodded, and Roxy crumpled.

“It wasn’t your fault, Haz.” Eggsy said, even though to him the words sounded hollow. “You didn’t know what Valentine’s plot was - you didn’t know King would throw you under the bus like that. None of that shit that happened in Kentucky was you.”

“I killed an entire building full of innocent people, Eggsy. Nothing I can do will change that.”

“You want to talk death tolls, Haz? I wake up most nights shaking after night terrors of what I did in that bunker. I watched hundreds of people die - I personally killed almost half of that. I get it, really, I do.”

“Eggsy -”

“Hang on, Rox. What I’m saying, mate, is that you have no reason to feel like a horrible person for something you had no control over. It’s kill or be killed - that’s what happens when you live like we do. You’ve been an agent for longer than I have, technically you should be telling me this. Don’t beat yourself up over what Valentine made you do.” Roxy gripped Harry’s hand across the table, and the man’s other hand finally fell away from his face.

“I died.” Eggsy threaded his fingers through Harry’s.

“And now you’re here. For what it’s worth, I’d rather have you fucked to hell and back with nightmares than six feet under. And we’re getting you in to see a therapist, even if I have to throw you over my shoulder and take you there myself.” The three of them sat quietly for a few moments until Harry’s shaking subsided. “Now, what say we order some Thai takeaway and watch a cheesy movie at mine?”

“Italian, and it’s a deal.”


End file.
